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I’ve had this blog post as a draft for ages because I felt like I had to have ALL the information in the world before sharing it in case I missed anything out. I didn’t want to share it whilst I was struggling so much. I felt a bit like a hypocrite for not taking every tip on board myself and was kind of dreading anyone asking me how it’s all going for me. Whilst I know all of these things work wonders and are great ways to manage the ADHD Brain, I still have days which drag into weeks and months where I can’t match my intentions with my actions and feel like ADHD is getting the better of me. I find great comfort in knowing that there are things I CAN do to help myself when I do feel like I am at the end of my tether, it’s just gathering the motivation to start doing most of them that I battle with.

Apart from a couple of sporadic talking therapy sessions, I have had no real support since being diagnosed with Adult ADHD last year as I was told only medication would help me and so trying to manage my symptoms and traits naturally has been both amazing and totally frustrating. Every day is a learning curve where I am discovering what works for me at different times but I often get bored of the routine and then forget which things I need to stick to consistently and which things are great to take on board during a crisis (also known as an anxiety or panic attack, complete lack of focus, fuzzy head syndrome – named by me, social meltdown..etc). In my ‘failing’ to get it right for longer than a month, I have felt at times, like I almost lost the plot but as I embark on my 2nd steady week of deliberately loving on my brain and taking my own advice again, I relax enough to realise that My ADHD brain is way too complex for me to fully understand. I was also diagnosed with CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) last month which came as no surprise but learning about the condition has really shocked me so I am going to go easy on myself but also commit to learning and understanding as much as I can and the great thing about doing that is that I am constantly discovering and practicing ways to manage my symptoms and ensure that I am as happy, productive, peaceful and calm as possible.

I wanted to reach out to all of you who are feeling similar or just off. Wether you have ADHD, think you may have it, had it as a child and didn’t realise it doesn’t stop after primary school or even if its not even ADHD related. Maybe you battle with depression, anxiety or just struggle with your thoughts and mindset in general, these tips that I am going to share will definitely help you. There are way more than 9 things that I wanted to share but I feel like I am literally losing days by being distracted every time i’ve tried to finish this blog post. I initially called this ’27 ways to manage my mental health’ but I have shortened it today because I keep getting messages from people who have been recently diagnosed and need support so I wont let my delay be theirs! Or yours!! I will do 9 at a time for a few weeks LOL – This is actually hilarious of me.

These are things that are all effective, helpful, relieving, important and beneficial for a healthy mindset and better mental health but there are a lot coming so don’t get overwhelmed or frustrated. Even if you only take 1 of these tips on board, I pray it really benefits you to a point of no turning back. It takes 21 days to make or break a habit so let’s all enter 2019 feeling encouraged, expectant, enthusiastic and just BETTER!

Educate yourself

The reason I haven’t had a massive moan about the NHS yet despite their waiting lists for mental health patients being DISGRACEFUL, is because I realised that me getting all impatient will not shorten my waiting time so I needed to get a step ahead and use this time effectively by learning as much as possible about my brain. I had heard that mental health practitioners had been wrongly diagnosing women who have ADHD and I found out first hand that there are medical practitioners that have little or no knowledge about ADHD in adults so I did lots of my own research and it has been life changing. If I think about what I have been told and offered, I would have been a confused mess. Realising you have ADHD as an adult is hard enough, to then realise its the reason your life is a mess but have only been given vague information about it can feel soul destroying so you need to study your condition properly. Read loads and speak to others who may seem to know more than you or share similar experiences (social media is great for this – just search hashtags). You will save yourself if you understand yourself.

2. Educate others

As you learn new things about yourself and the way your mind works, share the important parts with those you love or who are around you often. As you learn about your ADHD, depression, bipolar, anxiety, eating disorder, personality disorder or any other neurological difference, you will understand some of your past behaviours and where you may need patience or support in the future. Talking to your loved ones, colleagues or associates about these things can help them to understand and help you when you are seeming off or not behaving in a consistent manner.

3. Exercise regularly

Exercise is one of the best ways to manage ADHD. It helps get rid of excess energy in the most beneficial way and I always feel like my mind is less jumbled and has about 23 less tabs open after I have had a workout of some kind. Even just a 20 minute walk. When you exercise your brain releases endorphins which are chemicals that make you feel uplifted, focused and energised. It also helps to eradicate stress and insomnia, and is a natural mood enhancer. I wish wish wish I could do it everyday. Actually let me change that: I WILL do some exercise everyday!! (Speak Life over your life).

4. Time-boxing

People with ADHD have an interest based nervous system so need extra mental stimulation to do things we are not excited by. This means that we often leave a lot of things until the last minute where the fear of not completing them gives us that motivation we need to start. The distractions kick in though and we remember other things we need to do or an amazing idea pops up that leads to other things and we never get to finish what we start. This is so frustrating and can leave you feeling behind all the time. Time boxing helps me overcome this! I could never do it every day but a few times a week I set a day or evening aside to get stuff done and I time my tasks so that my brain stays stimulated enough to get to the end of more than one thing each day or week. I wrote a blog post about Time Boxing here.

5. Set Deadlines

If you have important things to do, or personal goals you want to achieve, you 100% CAN! Some days you won’t even feel like you have the mental capacity to make a cup of tea but you can do everything you want and are planning to do. Other days you may find gathering the motivation to wash a few dishes almost impossible but that doesn’t mean you can’t start that Blog, Podcast, Youtube channel or Business you have on your heart. That doesn’t mean you won’t succeed. If it’s something that will benefit yourself and others, why shouldn’t you do it? Everyday is different but once you start by gathering up some passion, writing out your vision then setting yourself realistic deadlines, you will be shocked at what you can achieve. Break each task up into mini tasks so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming if you have to but definitely try it.

6. Take time out

When you feel overwhelmed with emotion or discomfort of any kind, take some time out for yourself. You don’t have to make an announcement if you are around other people, but do make the effort to purposefully have a few minutes to yourself. To prevent feeling like this, make sure you take regular time out in your week to do something you enjoy. That could be anything from a reading, having a night in or out with a good film, a nap, a dance or a pamper day of some kind. Whatever makes you smile, do it.

7. Think about what you eat

What you eat effects how you feel. Your brain is connected to your gut. There are things that Trigger my ADHD symptoms so I try to stay away from them as best I can. Read my blog post on my ADHD Triggers here. In general though, a plant based or vegan diet is best for our mental health. Read my blog post about why this is true here. Cutting out all animal products may sound super unrealistic to lots of you but starting somewhere will make all of the difference. Try it and see. Start off by cutting out or cutting down on some of the animal products you ingest and as you see how much better you begin to feel, I am sure you will find it easier and easier to cut out more.

8. Have regular phone breaks

Swap social media for something else. There are some beautiful benefits to be experienced through social media but then the opposite is also on offer. If you use social media for work, set times where you check in on or post on your pages and then use the rest of your time to develop yourself or just enjoy your own company. Start a new a hobby or book, watch a film, catch up with a friend, meditate, journal your feelings from the day. Whatever it is, focus on yourself rather than falling into the possible trap of comparing yourself to internet faces or overthinking things triggered by an unwanted image or notification.

9. Carry a note book

Notebooks are multi-blessings. They are great to use during phone breaks too. Whenever I am having a phone break I always need to jot an idea down before I forget it and so reach for my notes app but way too often that then leads to 2 hours of trawling or Pinterest gawping and my evening has disappeared before my eyes. With a notebook you can write prayers out (great to look back on and see what God answered), get all of your ideas down, write things you need to remember to look up or do, write out lists that bring so much joy and organisation, journal your feelings when you feel something you are not used to for future reference and you can write your day right with little gratitude notes to help you focus on goodness when you feel down. Note books are the best!

I hope you receive some peace of mind from some or even one of these tips. More to come in Part 2 and Part 3 LOL

Today is the first day of ADHD Awareness Month and I had originally planned to do another ‘31 days of Loving your brain’ project focusing on raising awareness about and celebrating #ADHD like I did in May for Mental Health Awareness Month (see my ‘31 Days of Lovin’ Story highlight on Instagram here or my video explaining it here) but I can’t lie, the pressure I put on myself throughout that month was not pleasant and it annoyed me that I couldn’t be more laid back about it. I LOVED everything I did and LOVED hearing from people and sharing experiences but the way I would feel if I was late to post or didn’t remember to include something would drive me wild some days. I tried to tell myself I don’t have to put so much pressure on myself but it’s easier said than done sometimes. I did my own head in and It annoyed me so much that I decided to take some time out from blogging and vlogging (my nightmare was to start and become inconsistent) to really refocus and break away from the fight for perfection and performance and it’s been AMAZING.

I let the reigns go on July 2nd and have had such an incredible time seeking God and getting to know myself and how to enjoy my own company without that crippling fear of feeling like a failure or an inconsistent insect (Not that that’s always a bad thing) lol

That was exactly 3 months ago and it has been a very odd but enlightening time. My eyes have opened up to loads of things around and inside of me and I’ve actually fully seen myself for the oddball I really am and I LOVE her! She annoys me a lot but I’m learning to work alongside instead of against myself. I’ve not had a gallopy, glittery 3 months, quite the opposite at times but I know healing hurts and I have avoided it for YEARS for this very reason. Not any more though!

A lot of the time I’ve felt blank or completely anxious, no inbetween for days on end but I have had the opportunity to look at things differently and learnt loads, passed lots of knowledge on to help others and I’ve pushed through and taken time to love on myself how I would love on a burnt out friend. I realised I’d jumped straight into helping people when I found out I had ADHD Last year and forgot to focus on the fact I still have it and don’t know everything there is to know just yet and so still need to focus on managing my own ADHD Brain. I’m not saying you can’t help others unless you are whole but I got really thrown off when the harder to deal with ADHD symptoms would grab me and really ruin my day or week. I had no idea why I felt or experienced certain things and it’s because I was putting myself last. Again.

During this time, despite the emotional mayhem I went through as I broke away from hidden hurts, limiting beliefs and mindsets, I made mistakes as we all do but I really started to respect myself, my mind and my time a lot more. I am still making mistakes more often than I would like to but I’m taking the time to realise where I go wrong and that is a beautiful place to start. There were lots of things I did to keep me focused on the goodness God is doing and the one that has been most effective was writing things down. I wrote things I loved about myself and my life, I wrote things I loved about others, I wrote what I wanted to change, I wrote great ideas down, I wrote love letters to myself, my Mom and God, I Wrote Letters of forgiveness to people who hurt me and never said sorry (didn’t send them Obvz lol) I wrote things I felt the Holy Spirit tell me (some call him Mr Instinct or Gut Feeling) and I wrote lists of things I wanted to do or achieve. I wrote my butt off basically and when I realised we were coming into the last 3 months of the calendar year, I read back on it all and got SUCH a wonderful boost!

For that reason I want to encourage you to END YOUR YEAR RIGHT starting today!! The Bible tells us to write the vision and make it plain! When you write things down it’s like confirmation and testimony. The Bible wouldn’t even exist if certain Dons didn’t write stuff down so please join me and do it!!

Go to my latest post on Instagram and look at the giveaway I’m doing (click here) I am giving away a cute diary pack for you to challenge yourself to WRITE YOURSELF BACK TO LIFE! Every day I want you to write down one thing you love about yourself, your life or someone else and also the best thing that happened that day! Do it and watch how your perception and atmosphere changes as you do. On New Year’s Eve, I want you to read every single page and step into 2019 with joy and gladness and a great flutter of expectancy for your future!

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post on ADHD triggers because since being diagnosed with Combined Adult ADHD, I noticed that certain days felt like a living hell. As I learnt more about what ADHD is and how it effects my behavior, moods and feelings, I realized that these bad days were ‘ADHD going wild days’ and I had been having them on and off for years. Because of my fear of mental health medication, I started to research ways to avoid triggering ADHD symptoms naturally and I found that changing what you eat plays a massive part. I tested some of the things that I discovered and since then, have been managing my eating habits differently to prevent bad days where I feel like ADHD is winning or getting the better of me.

This doesn’t just apply to the ADHD brain though. This applies to all mental health issues, conditions, disorders or illnesses – whatever you want to call these neurological differences. Whether it be depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, addictions, personality disorders or obsessions, food can actually be your first line of defense against these things. Yes there are effective medicines and forms of therapy but they are not he only answer.

Your mental health is so important. It affects every single interaction you have. The condition of your brain can be determined by the condition of your digestive system or your gut. Not only are bloating, gas or diarrhea signs and symptoms of an unhealthy gut but so are moodiness, anxiety and depression. Serotonin is your happy hormone and around 70% of your body’s serotonin levels are found in your gut. If you have an unhealthy gut, this will massively affect your ability to use serotonin. Also, If you have a leaky gut, which is usually caused by eating too much inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, sugar and excessive alcohol, your body will lose most of the serotonin it produces so taking care of your gut is vital when it comes to supporting your mental health. These inflammatory foods have also been linked to eczema, joint pain, migraines and several mental health issues and violence and aggression.

This is because eating a diet full of meat and dairy alters microbes living in the gut. A microbe is a microscopic organism too small for the human eye to see. Your body contains trillions of microbes (including bacteria and fungi) and the ones in your gut, although they cause disease, play a critical role in digestion and immune function.

Researchers found that after 2 days of consuming an animal-based diet, microbes found in the food, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, quickly colonized the gut and promoted inflammation. These inflammation causing microbes are linked to several serious chronic diseases including mental illness, cancer, heart disease and more. The same researchers discovered a plant-based diet had a positive effect on mood and brain disposition.

Plant-based foods are also the best source of vitamins and contain minerals that your brain and body need to feel and perform at their best. Omega-3s, B vitamins, zinc, vitamin D, iron and magnesium are all nutrients that play a vital role in brain health and these are found in:

Hemp seeds

Grains

Soybeans

Nuts

Leafy greens

Oranges

Sweet potatoes

Squash

Tomatoes

Avocados

Coconut and almond milk

Non-dairy yogurt

figs and dates

Exposure to sunlight

Here are a few other reasons why animal products or an animal based-diet does not do our brains any good:

Arachidonic acid, found at particularly high levels in chicken and eggs, produces inflammatory compounds that affect our brains.

High consumption of fish has been associated with lower testosterone, chronic fatigue and depression.

Toxoplasma brain parasites from meat have been linked to schizophrenia and bi- polar.

Chicken has low levels of omega 3 fatty acid which is a vital nutrient for the brain.

Glycotoxins which are found in chicken, pork, beef, and fish, increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

My whole point is, You can manage and improve your mental health by changing your diet and be more mindful about what you eat. I have found through research and personal experience that the best way to do this is to follow a plant-based or vegan diet with as little sugar and alcohol as possible. I don’t follow this as strictly as I would like to but I am getting there. I have cut out lots of things and have severely cut down on the things I find it harder to quit. Its been just over a year and I have felt the difference hugely. I have a lot less bad days, a much clearer head (most days) and I have a great sense of being in control. I do get excited by my progress and forget why I feel so good sometimes (typical ADHD) and then can find myself impulsively eating stuff I shouldn’t but I feel so awful the day after, its really not worth it.

I know this is a lot to take in and a lot to cut out but don’t get overwhelmed. Start with 1 thing at a time and commit to say 2 weeks without that thing. When you feel the difference, it will motivate you to cut other things out and when your brain feels like a beautifully glittery ball of cotton wool floating along a river of silent water… lol you will know why and you will feel so in control. Changing my diet has also improved my skin and my energy, so there are many reasons why this is just overall better for our bodies. I will be praying for success and happy brain activity for everyone trying this!

When you have to deal with mental health issues of any kind, there are always harsh ups and downs. The downs can creep up slowly and end up feeling almost crippling.

Before I knew I had ADHD, the down days confused me so much that I felt I was losing my mind and becoming someone I didn’t identify with or like. My diagnosis really saved me. Knowing why I felt how I did and learning how to manage my symptoms has given me a freedom I can’t explain.

I now notice when the downs could creep in and I go out of my way to make sure I don’t end up feeling low. I identify that the thoughts in my head are lies and I do one or all 3 of these things to boost myself back up:

1. PRAY AND GIVE THANKS

Praying just means to talk with God. If you don’t pray or have never prayed, maybe this post is here to encourage you to do so for the first time. Exciting!

God cares about every thing that concerns us so that includes all of our struggles. The devil is as real as God though so there is a spiritual battle going on daily for our peace of mind. Don’t ever think that struggles mean God isn’t present. When you feel like that, talk to Him.

The bible has a beautiful scripture for us to remember when we worry: ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind’ – 2 Timothy 1:7

God cares about the condition of our mind and knows that we are going to be fed false fear to distract us. One of the ways that I force my way out of believing the lies in my mind that make me feel crap is to thank God for some stuff.

If you are feeling any kind of lowly feeling, ask God to renew your mind and then start listing things that you are grateful for. You can go as big as the air we breathe and as small as the train coming on time. Have gratitude as your attitude and it will change how you feel as you start to focus on all the blessings and goodness in your life. Gratitude also unlocks blessings so it’s a win win!

Writing these things down is a great way to keep track of how much you have to be grateful for. Do it and be blessed

2. LOVE ON YOURSELF

This sounds odd for people who have low self esteem or low self worth because you genuinely don’t feel love for yourself. I fully get that and have felt just like that most of my life. I can help you though.

I’m not great at practicing self love. I’m learning though. I have my days when I feel less amazing and worthy than I actually am so if you are like that too, you will have to force love on yourself. Here are some things I do when I want to show myself some love:

Read the Bible for God’s opinion on you and the promises He has for your life. Click here for scriptures to help with this

Pamper yourself – go get your hair or nails done or do them yourself. Do a face mask, remove your moustache, whatever it is that makes you feel a bit fresher. They say a change is as good as a rest

Have a bubble bath with your favourite playlist on

Make or buy your favourite meal

Speak words of affirmation over yourself or stand in the mirror and compliment yourself out loud

Watch an uplifting YouTube video or listen to a podcast (I’m going to recommend some later)

Turn your phone off and snuggle in front of a film or 8

Go for a walk in a park – go barefoot on the grass if you can

Do something creative. Make a cake, a card for someone, paint a picture, make a million affirmation cards LOL

You get my drift! Spend some time loving on yourself! YOU DESERVE IT!

3. LOVE ON OTHERS

The Bible tells us to Love God and to love others how we love ourselves. Love isn’t just a feeling it’s an ACTION. We are not only required to love for the benefit of others but it blesses us too!

If you are feeling rubbish and you don’t feel like you can love on yourself, (I’ve had times where I’ve been so low I feel annoyed at myself and sadly felt I didn’t deserve to be loved – what a lie from the devil!!!!) love on someone else! It feels really good.

Yes! It can feel at times that some people take your love and kindness for granted and it can feel draining when you realise they don’t have a desire to love on you in the same way but that’s just humans for you. Not everyone has the same heart so take your eyes off of yourself and love on them anyway!

Next time you feel low and need a quick fix to feel better, do something to uplift, encourage, benefit or just make life a little easier and sweeter for someone else. Do it without expecting ANYTHING back and watch how your atmosphere changes

The condition of your mind is so important. What you think affects how you feel and this can often have a huge impact on your behaviour, how you treat yourself and others and the overall quality of your life. If you have not been feeling good or have been doing or thinking things that you do not fully understand, please consider talking about it. I know it’s a scary thought but it’s so important.

You may be feeling like you are not loved, you are not worthy, everything around you is going no where or like your life is just rubbish so there’s no point speaking to anyone but there is! If you are feeling like this, or if you are feeling anything that makes you sad often, you may have a mental health issue or a brain disorder that you are not aware of or paying attention to. I know they sound like horrible terms but a disorder just means something irregular to the common norm. I don’t see my ADHD as an issue, problem or disorder anymore. I just identify that my brain functions differently to most people’s.

I know God’s timing is perfect but if I knew I had ADHD before I was actually told last year, I would have been a lot better off mentally and emotionally.

When I first found out, it was very hard to accept and deal with in a positive way but as time has gone on and I’ve learned more and more about ADHD, I can honestly say, my head has never ever been clearer.

Understanding my brain and how it works has had it’s ups and downs but the relief I feel is priceless. I now know and understand myself and my ‘weird’ behaviours and I know how to look after my brain which helps to prevent bad or difficult days that I used to accept as normal and ‘part of life’.

I know it’s not always easy to speak to people you know because you are fearful of their reaction so If you don’t have anyone close to you that you feel you can open up to, there are a variety of really helpful and caring helplines that you can call to express how you feel and seek the best help and advice.

Here are a few that I have been told are really helpful. I pray you get the boldness you need to speak about how you feel and receive the same liberating sense of relief that I now have:

Samaritans

Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing confidential emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide. Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline) and Website:www.samaritans.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation

Provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities. Phone: 0207 803 1100 and Website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Anxiety UK

A Charity providing support if you’ve been diagnosed with or think you may have an anxiety condition. Phone: 03444775774 and Website:www.anxietyuk.org.uk

OCD UK

A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments. Phone: 0845 120 3778 and Website: www.ocduk.org

With Instagram being so addictive, it’s so important that we keep a mindful eye on what and who we are following. For me, I find myself on Instagram so often for no reason at all. I know there doesn’t always have to be a major reason to be on there but I find that I go on to scroll sometimes just for brain stimulation. As I mentioned in my last post about colours, the ADHD brain is always on a constant search for stimulation. If it fails to find it, it can look for ways to increase activity and because negativity and worry have an immediate effect on the brain, I think a lot of the time, I’m just opening up Instagram for something to look at in hopes my brain will calm down before resulting to the non beneficial quick fix. For this reason, I have to make sure I am taking in goodness. The things we watch, see and then absorb have a massive impact on our thoughts which then effect our feelings so it’s incredibly important for us to be deliberate about what we let in to our atmosphere. When our minds are being fed well, we feel good! It’s as simple as that!

In this post I am going to introduce you to some of my favourite Instagram pages. There are loads more that I love and would love to mention but because I know I can be partial to an essay, I thought I would be reasonable and choose just 1. Anyone with an understanding of the ADHD brain will already know how much of an achievement it is to pick 18 out of over 1000 that I follow so I want to take this opportunity to say BIG UP ME for dropping the obsession and over thinking and actually picking 18. Some of you may have noticed that I said I was posting this days ago but the way my indecision is set up….LOL

I was going to call this post ’18 Instagram pages good for your mental health’ but 1. I got obsessed with stepping out of ‘My ADHD Brain’ theme and couldn’t work out how to start a new page (Google was confusing and frustrating me, I DID try lol) and 2. I remembered that we are all different with different tastes and life interests so what feeds my spirit well may not do the same for yours so I have personalised it a bit more to display my personal passions, pages that I rely on for daily inspiration, motivation and love injections and pages that I hope will give you a boost too. Even if its only 1 of the 18, i’ve included quite a variety.

1. @Jolynne_Whittaker_Official

Following Jolynne has changed my life. Her posts and videos have helped me to align with Gods will for my life in life changing ways and have just brought me closer to God on a whole. She is such an anointed and prophetic author and woman of God. I’m so so blessed to be under the canopy of her online ministry.

2. @ADDitudeMag

This page has taught me soooo much about myself and my ADHD brain. They have posts and information about every aspect of ADHD in all ages. I think I have used this page and website every single time I have done research about ADHD. If you have or feel you may have ADHD or know somebody close to you who does, you will love this page.

3. @CrazyCreativeCool

This is a mental wellness page that offers a space for girls to talk about mental health issues and share tips to recover. The posts on the page are so beautiful and colourful and spread a message of self love and positivity that can turn a frown into a smile almost instantly.

4. @NaomiAidoo

Naomi is amazing!! She is a Christian Business Coach for purpose-driven female entrepreneurs and focuses on Mobilising us for kingdom business. She inspires me so much! (“A business that makes Kingdom Impact through influencing change within the community it serves, the people it touches, the industry it is involved in, while bringing transformation to the land.” – Definition from hrockchurch.com )

5. @HealGrowGlow

This account was founded by the Internets big sister; Grace F Victory and offers encouragement to people who want to HEAL their past traumas, GROW through the aches of healing and enter their GLOW.

6. @TheHappyNewspaper

Emily Coxhead is an amazing and super positive illustrator and designer who created a newspaper called The happy News which celebrates people doing incredible things all over the world. This Instagram page is not only full of posts that are beautiful to look at but they make you feel good and see things in a much brighter light!!

7. @DontJealousMe

This is one of the funniest accounts I follow. @DontJealousMe’s videos never fail to have me cracking up and laughing is so so good for the soul. Laughing is known to be the best medicine and I really do believe that.

8. @MentalMovementMagazine

This is an online and print magazine which focuses on self-esteem, confidence and self-love as they are central to our wellbeing. The creators of the magazine have had experiences with anxiety, depression, BDD, BPD and share their journey to “wellness” as well as offer the platform to us.

9. @Dougtaddison

Doug’s daily prophetic words are the best!! They are short, sweet and so timely. He is so in tune with the move of God. He has an amazing blog and podcast too.

10. @WorldOfSelfCare

World of Self-Care is a digital and physical platform which explores the themes of self-care, self-love, self-acceptance, and mental-wellbeing. The page do this through creative art and discussion based workshop and events. Their posts and events offer people the tools needed to create a whole self-care/self-love practice, using creativity at the core.

11. @FunnyTummyArt

Art and colours make your eyes happy which then makes your brain happy. Funny Tummy is an amazingly talented and versatile UK based artist who uses such beautiful colours and produces such mindblowing art.

12. @StevoTheMadMan1

Stevo is hilarious. When I have had one of those days where I feel so odd, off and demotivated and find myself not wanting to leave my bed, I have been cheered up and wetting the bed laughing so often whilst watching Stevo’s snapchat stories. He does have an Instagram page too which is why I have included him in this post but it’s his snapchat stories that you will thank me for. Him and his family just bring me the most joy and laughter. Shout out Emma!

13. MissClairaHermet

Claira is such a soldier and such a pleasure to follow. She lost her Mum and her Sister to Breast cancer and is using her past pain to inspire and help other people live a life free of pain and struggle. She lives this daily as she motivates others to develop positive body image, self confidence, self love and self acceptance.

14. @Coupe_dc

Coupe is the amazing personal trainer and plant based food consultant who opened my eyes to how important our diets are when it comes to managing our mental health. He gave me the confidence to deal with my ADHD without medication and encouraged me to look into what foods trigger my bad days. He is also a specialist in fasting and teaches the health benefits attached to it.

15. @Laceinne

Laceinne is Coupe’s wife and she has an amazing page too. She is a new Mum and posts lots of eye opening and informative tips on motherhood and living a natural and Organic lifestyle.

16. @MayTheThoughts

Charlotte Reed is the author of the book ‘May The Thoughts Be With You’. I first saw Charlotte selling her book on Portobello Market and I have bought like 20 as gifts for people. Her Instagram page is just as good. She creates positive affirmations and thoughts with cute and fun illustrations that are really touching, uplifting and inspiring!

17. @GracesLondon

This is the Instagram page of Graces London which is The London Hemp and CBD skincare brand. I use a CBD oil roller on my wrists and the back of my neck on days where I have lots to do and worry that I will be overwhelmed or go into panic mode and it’s helped to keep me calm. Their products are eco friendly and it’s a great way to manage ADHD and lots of other conditions naturally.

18. @Yugen_Travel

This is a travel blog that really opens your eyes to some of the beauty this world has to offer that you may not have even imagined existed. Their posts not only please my eyes but they make me want to travel more which is great for the soul!

I literally could have written 87 more but wanted to be decisive for once so I hope one or some of these make your Instagram scrolling that little bit better.

I am so blessed to have been contacted by an AMAZINGLY talented artist (She does body paint, make up, face paint and conceptual art) called Latifah – Tabarah Emovon (@Tabbyfaces on instagram) who said she would like to paint me how I see my ADHD so here it is.

Anyone that knows me knows how obsessed I am with colour. I love All colours. Yellow is my favourite though. I didnt ever understand why colours made me feel so calm and happy but I feel like I have been a colour collector since I flew out of the womb lol. I used to collect trolls because I liked seeing all of their colorful hair, I used to collect colourful rubbers and not let ANYONE use them (we all had someone like that at school lol), I still collect stickers and stationary and have way more than I could ever get through yet still need more. I’ve also always redecorated things to add a bit of a colour whether it be school books, bags, trainers (it would break my heart now), furniture.. EVERYTHING. I just hated seeing things plain. I have carried a pencil case the size of a loaf of bread in my bag every day since I was around 8 and can NOT write anything without using at least 2 colours. My house is more colourful than a nursery and when I used to be scared as a child, I would close my eyes and picture my classroom for comfort. I actually wanted to be a primary school teacher because I liked the ‘vibe’ in primary schools. Now I realise it was the colours that I was drawn to. The beautiful artwork all over the place made my eyes happy and so I felt like I wanted to be surrounded by it all of the time. I knew I was a creative individual from a young age but didn’t quite know why I felt edgy, nervous and uncomfortable in environments that were dull.

Learning about ADHD has been such a blessing because I am learning so many new things about ME! People with ADHD are very visual. Not only do colours improve brain performance, but Dr. Robert Gerard has pioneered research which suggests that every color has a specific wavelength, and each of these affect our body and brain in a different way. Colour in its purest form is energy, and it has its own magnetic frequency that can affect neurological pathways in the brain that create a biochemical response. Basically, colours affect how you feel and how you think. Using the right colour, and the correct selection and placement can have a profound effect on our feelings, attention, and behavior. Learning to manage my ADHD brain has involved a lot of me learning how to manage these 3 aspects of my character so this is why I believe my love of colour is linked to my ADHD.

All brains need to be aroused in order to function well. Visual or optimal arousal enables brains to be alert, receptive and ready to learn. Non ADHD Brains are usually aroused by the stimulation of everyday life meaning they are usually quite alert and attentive. Low levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in ADHD brains make finding and maintaining enough stimulation to focus on simple, mundane tasks very challenging. As a result, ADHD brains are always scanning the environment for high stimulation. People with ADHD are often highly motivated to find this level of stimulation and can disregard important factors like time and consequence during the hunt. This means we are distracted away from important things that need our attention and can often put most of our energy into things that stimulate our brains rather than things that need to be prioritised. It can seem like we choose not to follow rules or cooperate in certain situations but the truth is, we don’t even realise it’s happening, our brains are in control.

I will give you a personal example. When I am at home, unless im having a fuzzy day, I feel calm, satisfied and organised because there are so many colours around me my brain is stimulated. I am full of amazing ideas and can read and write better. Similarly, when I am on the tube, or sitting in church, I write loads and loads in my notebook because the stimulation I get from the variety of things and people to look at makes me able to relax enough to access my thoughts. On the flip side, when I am in a very important meeting in a white room with grey chairs and boring furniture, I feel so uncomfortable I get almost twitchy. On more than one occasion, my fear of appearing physically twitchy and my need for brain stimulation has led me to walk out of the room at the most inappropriate times without even realising until im halfway down the corridor. I then get so confused I feel like I must have needed to go to the toilet but can’t remember leaving the room. Awkward much? definitely if you are in a job interview LOL.

The reason I wanted Latifah to paint me with a bit of the bland, boring vibe that I usually avoid is because sometimes, when I am having a bad or fuzzy day where I feel like the struggles of ADHD are winning, I feel so blank. I feel frustrated, fidgety and weird and it’s the same feeling I get when I am in one of those meeting rooms.

If you feel you have ADHD and want to find natural ways to manage your symptoms, try adding colour to your environment. I’m not sure it works on everyone but your brain is just starved of stimulation and colours are actually known to help even a non ADHD brain. A couple of examples are; Green helps with concentration, Blue is relaxing and calming and helps with productivity and Orange is a mood lifter.